Coin-detector for coin-actuated devices.



No. 753,961. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

B. M. DAVIS.

COIN DETECTOR FOR COIN AGTUATED DEVICES.

- APPLICATION IILED 001212, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

iiiiilllllll II II!!! lllIIlll mggggnnm UNITED STATES Patented March 8,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BETriUEL M. DAVIS,- OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO OHARLESF. TRAVIS, or owosso, MICHIGAN.

COIN-DETECTOR FOR COlN-ACTUATED' DEVICES.

sPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,961, dated March'S,1904. v Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,422. (Nomodel.)

To ciZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BETHUEL M. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Detectors forCoin-Actuated Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact specification.

My invention relates to means for prevent- Io ing coinactuatedmechanisms, automatic vending-machines, and other devices requiring thedeposit of a coin for their operation from being actuated by all coins,excepting those ofa predetermined denomination, or by so-called slugs,lead bogus coins," iron or magnetic disks, washers, &c.; and it has forits primary object to provide an improved device which will receive acoin of predetermined denomination and permit the same to 2 move intooperative relation with the coinactuated mechanism or automatic vendingmechanism or other place where the presence of a coin is desired, butwill arrest a bogus coin or coin of improper denomination or.

2 5 other device in imitation of the coin of predetermined denominationand prevent the same from reaching the coin-actuated mechanism or otherplace where the presence of the coin is desired.

3 A further object of my invention is to provide an improvedcoin-detector which will return-the bogus coin to the starting positioneand so hold it that it may be readily removed by the operator and willprevent the machine from being actuated by any other coin until it isremoved.

A further object of my invention is to prevent a lead or other soft diskfrom passing through the machine even though it may be 4 of the exactsize or dimensions of the coin of the predetermined denomination.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts bywhich the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearingare attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front or 5 0 face view'of myimproved device. Fig. 2 is a top or plan View thereof. Fig. 2 is a faceView of apart of the com-receiver. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken onthe line 3 3, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 7.Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6 6, Fig.

4; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the same line, but showinga coin in the device advanced to a position half-way between thereceiving and discharge slots.

My improved coin-detector is more especially designed for use inconnection with and as auxiliary to the ordinary coin-actuated mechanismor automatic vending-machine and is adapted to be arranged at thereceiving end of the coin-slot, so as to serve as a mechanical means ofdepositing the coin in such slot if it should be of the properdenomination and preventing the coin from entering the slot if it shouldbe of an improper denomination, and for this reason it will not benecessary to describe in connection with my present invention anyparticular kind or form of coin-actuated mechanism.

In the example of my invention shown in the drawings the catch orcatches for holding the coin-receiver against movement toward thecoin-discharge slot at all times, excepting when a coin of the properdenomination is held therein, are arranged to impinge the side of thecoin as contradistinguished from its edge, so that the thickness of thecoin will determine the position of the'catches with 5 reference to thecoin-receiver, or, in other words, the face of the coin pressing againstsaid catches or parts connected therewith will deflect the catches outof engagement with the coin-receiver. The coin, which is shown 9 at 1 indotted lines in Figs. 3 and 6 and in full lines in Fig. 7 is depositedin a' slot 2, which is formed in the side walls and bottom of a U-shapednotch or passage 3 at the upper side of the device. This U-shaped notchor recess 3 is constituted by registering recesses formed in the upperedges of a face plate 4, an intermediate ring 5,.and a back plate 6, thecoin being deposited in the slot 2 through the upper side of theU-shaped recess, and the recess being open through both sides of thedevice, so that the coin maybe held between the thumb and finger untilsafely lodged in the slot 2 and may be readily grasped by the thumb andfinger for removal in the event it should be ejected by the device bythe means which will be presently described. The sides and bottom of therecess 3 immediately adjacent to the slot 2 on one side thereof areformed by a U shaped rib 7 formed on or secured to the intermediate ring5, and against the outer face or edge of this rib 7 which is flush withthe outer face or edge of the intermediate ring 5, fits the back plate6, which is snugly held in place by screws or rivets 8, passing throughthe face-plate 4, the back plate 6, and lugs or bosses 9 10, formed onthe exterior of the intermediate ring 5.

The intermediate ring 5 is also formed with an internal web 11, havingan extension 12 and located at an intermediate point with reference tothe thickness or depth of the intermediate ring-that is to say, at adistance from both faces or edges of the intermediate ringand theface-plate 4 is formed with a surrounding flange 13, against which theouter edge or face of the ring 5 is clamped by the screws 8, both theface-plate 4: and the back plate 6 being provided at top with lugs orbosses 14 and at bottom with bosses or lugs 15, complementary in shapeto the bosses 10, respectively formed on the intermediate ring 5 for theengagement of the screws 8. By thus supporting the intermediate ring 5against the face-plate a narrow space is left between the web 11 and itsextension 12 and the inner face of the face-plate 4, and this space isin the same plane as the slot 2, and in it is located a coin-receiver inthe form of a circular plate or disk 15 which is designed to fit snuglyagainst the inner face of face-plate 4 and which is provided in one edgewith a U-shaped notch or recess 16, adapted to register with the slot 2and recess 3. The notch or recess 16 in the disk 15 is slightly largeror wider than the side walls of the recess 3, so that a coin may beinserted through the upper end of the slot 2 and will be supportedtherein by the edges of the notch 16. The notch 16 is also of suflicientdepth to permit the coin to descend until its upper edge is clear of theinner periphery of the intermediate ring 5, which inner periphery iscircular and constitutes the edge of a coin-passage, of which the sidesare constituted by the web 11 and its extension 12 and inner face offace-plate 4:, respectively, the opposite edge of such coin-passagebeing constituted by the bottom of the recess or notch 16, whichconstitutes the coin receiver and carrier for conducting the coin fromthe receiving-slot 2 to a discharge-slot 17, arranged below the slot 2and which may be placed in communication with the receiving end of theslot of the coin-actuated mechanism to which my invention is to beapplied, the connection being eifected in any desired way not necessaryto explain. This slot 17 at the bottom is constituted on three sides bya notch or recess formed through the bottom of the faceplate 1 betweenthe lugs and on the other and inner side by the lower edge of theintermediate ring 5. (See Fig. 4.) The disk or plate is secured to anoperating knob or handle 18 in any suitable manner. In the example ofthe invention shown in the drawings this knob 18 is provided with ajournal 19, journaled in the face-plate 4: and having its inner endarranged flush with the inner face of the plate 41 and firmly secured tothe disk 15 by means of screw 20 or other suitable device in such a waythat the rotation of the knob will effect the rotation of the disk 15 inone direction, while its return movement or rotation in the oppositedirection may be produced by any suitable spring bearing against a lug21, formed on the inner face of the disk 15 and at the same timeconstituting a stop for limiting the return or retrograde rotation ofthe diskand holding the recess or notch 16 in register with the recess 3when the knob is released, said lug 21 being arranged to strike againstthe edge of web 11, as shown in Fig. 3, for that purpose. The form ofspring shown consists of a spring arm or wire 22, coiled on a pin 23,formed on orsecured to the back plate 6 and projecting into the cavityafforded by the intermediate ring 5. The stop or lug 21 is also sosituated that it will constitute a stop for limiting the movement of thedisk 15 when rotated by the knob 18 against the action of spring 22, soas to prevent the notch or recess 16 in the disk from being turned pastthe dischargeslot 17. To this end the lug 21 is so disposed that it willstrike the side of rib 7 when the described position is reached.

The inner face of the face-plate 4: is provided with one or morerecesses or channels 2 1, in which are embedded one or more catches 2728 for locking the disk or receiver 15 16 against movement beyond acertain degree until a coin of the proper denomination be deposited. Tothe end that the catches may engage the disk at various points in itsline of rotation the latter is provided with a plurality of peripheralnotches25. 26 27 X (beveled at outwardly, into which spring one or moreof the aforesaid catches 27 28 when the .latter are not depressedinwardly within the clamped between the bent end 32 and the back of thearm and which spring by bearing against the inner wall of the recess 24nor mally tends to force the catch outwardly into engagement with thenotches in the disk. Each of the arms 29 is provided with anoutweirdly-projecting lug,which when the springs 31 are not otherwiseand sufficiently restrained protrude from the recesses 24 beyond theface of plate 4. One of these lugs is shown at 33 and the other at 34,and each is pointed or sharpened, so as to dig into any soft object andarrest the progress thereof in the event it should be attempted to forcethe same past them in the coin-receiver 16, which, as will beunderstood, should be constructed of steel or other hard materialcapable of passing over the pointed lugs 33 34 without material damage,and the edges of the recess or notch '16 should be beveled, as shown at16, where they pass over lugs 33 34..

With the construction thus described it will be seen that unless thecatches 27 28 be restrained by the pressure of either the disk 15 or acoin in the notch 16 against the lugs 33 34 such catches will springoutwardly into engagement with one or more of the notches 26 2'7, andthe catches 27 28 are so proportioned and arranged with relation to thelugs 33 34 that they will not be deflected out of the line of movementof the disk 15 unless the coin carried in the notch 16 be'of therequisite thickness, and it is also evident that since there are aplurality of the lugs 33 34 the coin must be of the requisite area ordiameter to cover all of such lugs; otherwise one of the catches 27 28would be allowed to spring outwardly into engagement with at least oneof the catches 25 26 27 X before the coin-receiving notch 16 came intoregister with the discharge-slot 17. This, as will be seen, might alsobe the result if the object deposited were a washer, a thing which isfrequently used to defraud coin-actuated mechanisms, which thoughpossessing the requisite thickness and diameter is provided with acentral aperture,

such as represented bydotted lines 35 in Fig.

7 and which aperture would invariably permit at least one of the lugs 3334 to spring outwardly and lock the coin-receiver against furtherprogress. It is also evident that even though the coin should be of therequisite thickness and diameter, but composed of lead or other softmaterial, the sharp points of the lugs 33 34 would dig into it to suchan extent as'to make it impossible to continue the rotation of the disk15 by the aid of the knob 18, and, again, it is apparent that eventhough the coin or object might possess the requisite thickness, but toosmall in diameter, it would be apt to leave one of the lugs 33 34uncovered, and hence permit at least one of the catches 27 28 to lockthe disk from being rotated the entire distance.

If the coin deposited should be an iron or other magnetic diskpossessing both the requisite thickness and diameter, it would beprevented from falling through the discharge- .Slot 1'? by a magnet 36,embedded in faceplate 4, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 6 and holdingthe latter firmly against the faceplate 4, the disk 15 being preferablyprovided with a groove or circular depression 38 for the inner end ofset-screw 37 to engage in.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-detector the combination of a casing having, adischarge-slot, and a u-shaped coin-receiving recess open through bothsides and the edge of said casing, and a coin-receiver in said casingfor moving a coin from position said receiving-recess to saiddischarge-slot,

substantially as set forth.

2. A com-detector comprislng a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot,

and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having a finger-recess, anintermediate ring having a finger-recess and a receiving coin-slot, andmeans for securing .the parts together.

3. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a receiving coin-slot,and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate, an intermediate rin havin aU-sha ed rib and a receivin coin-slot, and means for securing the partstogether.

4. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a surrounding flangeformedwith corner-lugs, a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot,

and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having corner-lugs, and afinger-recess, an intermediate ring having corner-lugs, a finger-recess, and a receiving coin-slot and means for securing the partstogether by their corners.

5. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot, and a'magnet recessed inthe body of the face-plate, aback plate having a finger-recess, anintermediate ring having a finger-recess and a receiving coin-slot, andmeans for securing the parts together.

6. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having afinger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess, a receivingcoin-slot, and

integral intermediate web and means for securing the parts together.

7. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot,

and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having a finger-recess, anintermediate ring having a finger-recess, a receiving coin-slot, and anintermediate Web, a disk having a coin-recess adapted to register withthe finger-recesses and with the receiving coin-slots, and locatedwithin the intermediate ring between the face-plate and the integral webof the in termediate ring, and means for operating the disk.

8. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having afinger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess, a receivingcoin-slot and an intermediate web, a disk having a coin-recess, andlocated within the intermediate ring between the face-plate and theintegral web of the intermediate ring and a knob journaled in theface-plate and secured to the disk whereby the latter is operated.

9. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having afinger-recess, an intermediate ring havin g a finger-recess, a receivingcoin-slot and an intermediate web, a disk having coin-recess, and astop-lug adapted to contact with the web for limiting the movement ofthe disk and means for operating the disk.

10. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot and a discharging coinslot, a back plate having afinger-recess and a pin, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess, areceivingcoinslot, an intermediate web and a rib, a disk having acoin-recess, and a stop-lug adapted to contact with the web for limitingthe movement of the disk, a spring coiled around the pin on the backplate and having its free end bearing against the stop-lug for returningthe disk, and means for operating the disk, the stop-lug contacting withthe rib to limit its advance movement.

11. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a receiving coin-slota discharging coin-slot, and a channel, a back plate, an intermediatering having a receiving coin-slot, a disk having a coin-recess, and aperipheral notch, a spring-catch located in the channel and having a lugadapted to project into the path of the notch, and means for operatingthe disk.

12. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate ,having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot a discharging coin-slot, and channels, a back platehaving a finger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess andreceiving coinslot, a disk having a coin-recess, and a plurality ofperipheral notches, spring-catches located in the channels and havinglugs adapted to project into the path of the peripheral notches andmeans for operating the disk.

13. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot, and a channel, a backplate having a finger-recess, an intermediate ring having afinger-recess and a receiving coin-slot, a disk having a coin-recess,and a peripheral'beveled notch, a spring-catch located in the channeland having a lug adapted to project into the path of the notch, andmeans for operating the disk.

1 L. A'coin-detector comprising aface-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot and a channel, a back platehavinga finger-recess, an intermediate ring having a fingerrecess and areceiving coin-slot, a disk having a coin-recess and a peripheral notch,a catch having an arm formed with a bent end and pivoted in the channel,and a lug adapted to project into the path of the notch, a springsecured to the bent end of the arm, and means for operating the disk.

15. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot and a channel, a back platehaving a finger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess anda receiving coin-slot, a disk having a coin-recess, a springcatch havingan arm formed with a sharpened lug adapted to project into the path ofthe coin-recess of the disk, and means for operating the disk. I

16. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot and a channel, a back platehaving a finger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess anda receiving -coin-slot, a disk having a coin-recess formed with a bevel,a spring-catch having an arm formed with a sharpened lug adapted toproject in the path of the bevel of the coin-recess of the disk, andmeans for operating the disk.

17. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, a discharging coin-slot and channels, a'back platehaving a finger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess andreceiving coinslot, a disk having a coin-recess and a peripheral notch,spring-catches each having an arm formed with a sharpened lug adapted toproject into the path of the coin-recess of the disk and means foroperating the disk.

18. A coin-detector comprising a face-plate having a finger-recess, areceiving coin-slot, and a discharging coin-slot, a back plate having afinger-recess, an intermediate ring having a finger-recess, a receivingcoin-slot and integral intermediate web, a disk having a coin-recess andcircular depression, a screw working through the web into the circulardepression for taking up wear, and means for operating the disk.

BETHUEL M. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

F. A. HorKINs,

W. D. Cnoss.

